August 16, 2016

SYLVA, N.C. – Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital are pleased to provide outpatient nutrition therapy and diabetes education at Harris Medical Associates, Swain Family Care, and Harris Family Care – Franklin. The service, which was previously provided in the hospital, is now conveniently offered at the patient’s physician practice. For those who are not patients at one of the designated primary care practices, the service is also available.

The service is provided by Melanie Batchelor, a registered dietitian, licensed dietitian nutritionist, and certified diabetes educator, and Krystle Holt, a registered dietitian and licensed dietitian nutritionist.

Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) services are for those with a diagnosis of diabetes and includes both individual and group classes. The Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital program is accredited by the American Diabetes Association.

Medical Nutrition Therapy and Diabetes Self-Management Education have been proven to lower blood glucose, blood pressure, weight and a1c, a critical measure in diabetes management. For participants who have completed the diabetes program through Harris and Swain, a1c levels have decreased in 100% of patients.

“Being located in the physician practice setting and seeing patients in conjunction with their primary care doctor visit gives us an opportunity to ensure we’re meeting all of our patients’ needs and that we’re answering all of their questions as it relates to following the nutrition and diabetes education we have provided,” said Batchelor. “We believe the setting is more convenient and will ensure the best outcomes in treating the whole patient.”

A physician referral is required. To schedule an appointment contact Melinda Talley at 631-8817.

About Harris Regional Hospital & Swain Community Hospital

Harris Regional Hospital, established in 1925, is an 86-bed acute and specialty care facility serving Western North Carolina with more than 100 physicians practicing in locations throughout a multi-county region, including Harris Regional Hospital Medical Park of Franklin, an outpatient facility in Macon County.

Swain Community Hospital, established in 1950, is a 48-bed Critical Access Hospital serving a multi-county region with primary care, emergency medicine and subspecialty care including a pain clinic and a transitional care unit. Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital began an affiliation in 1997 and joined Duke LifePoint Healthcare in 2014.

Our Mission: Making Communities Healthier

Our Vision: Creating places people choose to come for healthcare, physicians want to practice, and employees want to work.

About Duke LifePoint Healthcare

Duke LifePoint Healthcare, a joint venture of Duke University Health System, Inc. and LifePoint Health® (NASDAQ: LPNT), was established to build a dynamic network of hospitals and healthcare providers. The joint venture, which brings together LifePoint's experience in community-based hospital management and Duke's world-renowned leadership in patient safety and clinical quality systems, is strengthening and improving healthcare delivery by providing community hospitals the clinical, quality and operational resources they need to grow and prosper.